Skip to content

Lake Flashback: 2,500 homes planned, rained-out Youbou Regatta, and Mesachie high-speed chase

It was a wild and woolly week in the archives
8026042_web1_170816-LCO-flashbacks-column_1
Richard and Casey McArthur are ready for the Youbou Regatta parade in 1992, come rain, come shine.

Welcome to Lake Flashback. Reporter Lexi Bainas has been combing through old newspapers with theassistance of the Kaatza Station Museum and Archives so we can jog your memory, give you that nostalgicfeeling, or just a chuckle, as we take a look at what was making headlines this week around Cowichan Lake inyears gone by.

10 years ago:

“2,500 homes planned for old Youbou millsite land” screamed the Lake Cowichan Gazette’s headline on Aug. 15, 2007.

It was all about a residential development for the 248-acre site, one that would include commercial development and a marina, and two meetings were planned, the first with the public and then a further session to talk about infrastructure, transportation, and proposed public parkland.

Chris Clement of Chris Clement Construction in Duncan, one of the owners, said they have received approval in principle from the Ministry of Environment on their environmental assessment of the property, which means they can begin reclamation work. The idea was to reclaim the site in stages.

“It’s something that will go on over time,” said Clement. “This could all take up to 20 years. A lot will be market driven, but also the CVRD doesn’t want it to go too fast. One of the first things we want to build is a boat ramp facility because that was one of the main things people want.”

25 years ago:

In August, 1992, the Youbou Regatta was washed out, according to The Lake News.

“Last Saturday was the first time in memory it rained on Youbou’s parade. It didn’t just drizzle, but it poured. The Youbou Regatta however did hold out until 12 noon when organizers finally decided to call it off. Swimming races that were unable to take place last Saturday will be held Aug. 21.

“The Regatta did begin with the parade at 10 a.m.…and the handful of those with unbreakable spirits and good rain gear stuck around to see the 1/4 mile swim, canoe races and decorated boats. By noon, however, even the hardiest of spectators had wandered away to a drier place.”

Of note nowadays is this note about the quarter mile swim.

“Although there were a number of those willing to jump into the lake, no one could match the swimming speed of Leanne Wilkinson.”

40 years ago:

On Wednesday, Aug. 17, 1977, The Lake News led with the usual mid-August story: Forests like ‘tinderbox’ but there was also another intriguing piece on the front of the paper.

“RCMP chase ends with smash-up” is not a common occurrence around the Lake now, and it wasn’t then either.

The story says: An eight-mile police chase Aug. 3 in the Mesachie Lake area ended when a local youth drove a car into some trees while trying to negotiate a turn.

RCMP chased the youth, whose licence was under suspension, for four miles and succeeded in getting him to pull over at the Mesachie straight stretch, according to a police spokesman.

The youth slowed then bolted and drove off in the direction he had come, with the RCMP giving chase at “very high speeds.”

He was making a right turn at Port Renfrew Road when his car slid into the trees. The youth was unhurt but his car was demolished.

He has been charged with dangerous driving, the story concluded.